Thunder Bay by Douglas Skelton

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have read several previous books by Douglas Skelton, and know him to be a very talented writer, often underrated in my opinion. But I knew this was a bit of a change in direction for him so couldn't wait to read it. And I wasn't disappointed - it was well worth the wait. Huge thanks to Polygon for sending me an early review copy.

The Blurb:

When reporter Rebecca Connolly is told of Roddie Drummond’s return to the island of Stoirm she senses a story. Fifteen years before he was charged with the murder of his lover, Mhairi. When he was found Not Proven, Roddie left the island and no one, apart from his sister, knew where he was or what he was doing. Now he has returned for his mother’s funeral – and it will spark an explosion of hatred, bitterness and violence.

Defying her editor's wishes, Rebecca joins forces with local photographer Chaz Wymark to dig into the secrets surrounding Mhairi's death, and her mysterious last words of Thunder Bay, the secluded spot on the west coast of the island where, according to local lore, the souls of the dead set off into the after life. When another murder takes place, and the severe weather that gives the island its name hits, she is ideally placed to uncover the truth about what happened that night fifteen years before.

Thunder Bay is published by Polygon tomorrow, and you can pre order it from Waterstones, Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review:

Before I share my thoughts on the  book, can we just talk about the cover? Isn't it fabulous? Anyone who knows me will tell you that I adore anything purple, but that aside, it's so atmospheric. Love it.

Anyway, moving on. Roddie is returning to Stoirm for his mother's funeral. He left fifteen years earlier after being found Not Proven for the murder of his girlfriend Mhairi. For those of you not familiar with Not Proven, it's a uniquely Scottish verdict,  technically a form of acquittal, but often associated with guilt. Consequently, Roddie's return to the island is far from popular, and opens up some old wounds.

Journalist Rebecca wants to cover the story,  but she also has her own reasons for going to the island - a different story that she wants to uncover. And through her eyes, we see island life.

As always, I don't want to say too much because I really don't want to give anything away. This is a delight you will want to uncover for yourself. There are many story strands running through the book, and a whole cast of characters involved. They are so wonderfully described that you will warm to some of them immediately whilst others you really won't like. And some you wonder about. The characterisation is spot on - I could picture these folk in my mind. Rebecca and Chaz were standouts for me, but I also found Roddie to be oddly affecting. But really, every single person is brilliantly described.

Just as important is the setting. The island of Stoirm seems to me to be beautiful but quite brutal. And claustrophobic, but that's as also to do with the small island community where everyone knows everyone else. Thunder Bay itself is breathtaking. Isolated, dangerous and steeped in legend. And the last words that Mhairi spoke before she died. We hear the wind howling, the waves crashing and the gulls crying - it made me shiver.

This is a story of secrets and lies, and the danger that both can bring. It's about finding the truth, whatever consequences that might bring. It's beautifully written, descriptive and atmospheric. The pacing is perfect, and the conclusion unexpected. Douglas Skelton has delivered possibly his best work yet, and that really is saying something! It's a triumph. Go read it. Oh, and it's absolutely crying out to be made into a film! 

Edited Thunder Bay has since had a new cover. I don't like it as much as this one but it works well with the other books in the series. 

The Author:

Douglas Skelton has published 12 books on true crime and history. He has been a bank clerk, tax officer, shelf stacker, meat porter, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), reporter, investigator and editor.

His first novel, BLOOD CITY, was published in 2013. The gritty thriller was the first in a quartet set on the tough streets of Glasgow from 1980 onwards. It was followed by CROW BAIT, DEVIL'S KNOCK and finally OPEN WOUNDS, which was longlisted for the first McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year in 2016.

His two Dominic Queste thrillers, THE DEAD DON'T BOOGIE and TAG - YOU'RE DEAD lightened the tone but didn't skimp on thrills.

He followed this with his New York-set chase thriller THE JANUS RUN in 2018.

His new book, THUNDER BAY,  is a dark and atmospheric tale of secrets, lies and murder on a Scottish island.

Douglas is often recruited by documentary makers to contribute to true crime shows on TV and radio and is a regular on the crime writing festival circuit.

He also takes part in comedy shows with other crime writers. To date he has written three Carry on Sleuthing plays in which he also appears along with Caro Ramsay, Michael J. Malone, Theresa Talbot, Pat Young and Lucy Cameron, with occasional guests Alex Gray, Lin Anderson and Neil Broadfoot.

He is also one quarter of Four Blokes in search of a Plot, along with Gordon Brown, Mark Leggatt and Neil Broadfoot. This is a fun show in which they invite the audience to give them a murder weapon and a protagonist. They then take it in turns to create a crime story (usually developing into something wild and wacky) while also answering audience queries about the craft.

You can find Douglas' website here, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.